SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ELECTRIC BIRD NOISE – DEREK RODDY 8-10-22

Electric Bird Noise
derek roddy 8-10-22
Silber Records/Broken Sound Tapes

Ambient and metal clash on the latest release from Electric Bird Noise. The three-song, collaborative EP sees guitarist and songwriter Brian McKenzie join forces with current Anthrax drummer, Derek Roddy, to deliver a truly experimental listening experience.

Opening with “derek roddy 8-10-22_one”, the EP springs to life through a cacophony of sound which sees McKenzie’s reverb drenched guitars – and their seamlessly endless delays – battle for centre stage with Roddy’s drum ‘n’ bass inspired grooves. The hypnotically chaotic song grooves hard with the duo teetering upon avant-garde jazz that is influenced by dissonant funk.

“derek roddy 8-10-22_two”, on the other hand, slowly glides through your speakers with the utmost ease. The psychedelic song is led by McKenzie’s stunning clean tones with Roddy’s drums sounding further in the distance. With a melody that embraces Eastern harmonic structures and rhythms, there is something pleasantly meditative to the track that contrasts dramatically from the first track and what is to come. Closing with “derek roddy 8-10-22_three”, Electric Bird Noise once again embrace a striking sense of dissonance, alongside complex polyrhythms to create an otherwise disjointed wave of sound that remains intact through a tight performance.

In all regards, derek roddy 8-10-22 is not intended for any commercial prospects. With song titles that read like file names, the music sees this duo embrace an enriched sense of rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic disorder. That, however, is the point of the album. Electric Bird Noise, along with Roddy, have created a stunningly dissonant creative exercise that sees the musicians dig into their craft for the very sake of artistic expression. In this regard, derek roddy 8-10-22 is an absolute success.

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